MORANT BAY, St Thomas — When Shanie Johnson accepted the top prize in a make-up competition in November, it made all the struggles that came before worth it.

Forced to leave school after a year of sixth form because of financial constraints, she entered the world of work on a September morning in 2013 when most of her peers were headed back to school.

It has taken years for the 26-year-old to find, and pursue, her passion. And she is now getting noticed.

Johnson’s artistry earned her first place in the EVOLVE Youth Month Virtual Skills in Action video competition organised by HEART/NSTA Trust. She also copped a sectional award for the most popular entry. For those who don’t know the back story, it’s hard to imagine that she first took up a make-up brush in 2017. She got certified by HEART two years later.

Born in Portland, she grew up in St Thomas. After dropping out of school and a long list of unfulfilling jobs in Kingston, Johnson found herself struggling yet again in December 2017. But this time was different. She was a new mom, her father’s child was supportive from overseas but the independent young woman wanted to find a way to not only earn a living but also enjoy what she was doing.

“I was home alone on maternity leave so I started to watch this make-up artist on Facebook called Crissy. I watched all her lives and videos and I said to myself, ‘I want to be just like her’,” said Johnson.

Inspired by the tutorial Watch Crissy Work she started her own YouTube channel and makeup business. As she built up her confidence and skills, she started off by offering her services to a handful of clients for special events such as birthdays and weddings. She still didn’t go all in, treating it as a side hustle while she continued working at a call centre in Kingston.

When the novel coronavirus hit in 2020, Johnson decided to quit her job at the call centre and be a stay at home mom. For a while she earned a modest income from the sale of home-made fried snacks. It was enough to cover her rent, but not enough to meet her need for a fulfilling career.

“Eventually, I got bored selling the fry-fry because if you don’t have a passion for something you are going to get bored doing it,” she said.

Finally, she decided to invest some time in learning make-up artistry. She continued to create content for her YouTube channel, providing tutorials and other material. She soon caught the eye of local and international make-up brands asking her to join their public relations teams, one of her goals after she began doing the tutorials.

By 2019, Johnson was well on her way, with an impressive list of clients. But something was missing: certification of her undeniable skills.

“A [former] co-worker [from the call centre] said to me, ‘Shanie, why you don’t go to HEART Mobile and get certified and get focused on doing clients and making make-up artistry a job since makeup is the only thing you are interested in’,” Johnson said.

She accepted the advice. But even getting certified had its own share of drama. On the morning of her assessment, her model was extremely late and she couldn’t reach her by phone.

“I almost did not get certified that morning,” Johnson recalled. “I was just sitting there wondering what to do.”

The model, who explained that her phone got damaged that same day, eventually showed and Johnson aced her test.

With that boost to her confidence, she became fully engrossed in make-up artistry.

Today, she works with 10 local and international brands such as Watch Crissy Work, Posh Culture, Fruits Cosmetics, DD’s Signature and Blended Cosmetics.

In January 2022, she will be offering one-day online make-up workshops where participants will learn how to do make up a full face. So far, she’s had interest from as far away as Canada.

Finally happy with her career, Johnson had some advice for others who may still be finding their way.

“Not everyone is meant to work for somebody; so if you have a passion for something, go for it. If you see makeup and you love it, or if you see cooking and you love it, go right ahead and build on it,” she urged.

— Ashagaye Mullings